Master the Interview: A Guide for Working Professionals

© 2016 Segal Coaching. All rights reserved.

A Look Inside the Book

AUTHOR

Anne Marie Segal, JD, CCMC, CPRW Executive Coach, Career Strategist and Resume Writer Author of Master the Interview: A Guide for Working Professionals Background: 15 years as attorney prior to coaching White & Case LLP, Wexford Capital LP and other firms Education: J.D., NYU Law School; M.A., University of Chicago; and B.A., Loyola University of Chicago Contact: Six Landmark Square, 4th Floor, Stamford, CT Phone: +203-274-7734 Available in-person, by phone and via Skype Email: asegal@segalcoaching.com Web: www.segalcoaching.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/annemariesegal

What Makes this Book Unique? WORKSHEETS THROUGHOUT THE BOOK HELP YOU PREPARE Not only does the book offer expert interview advice, but also it includes worksheets to record your own thoughts. Through writing, you clarify your thinking and reinforce your preparation for the interview.

Extra Copies of Key Worksheets For the enclosed worksheets from Master the Interview, please visit the author’s blog at: www.annemariesegal.com and click on “Worksheets”

MASTER THE INTERVIEW: Five-Star Reviews By the time you have an interview for a job you really want, the stakes are high. You are SO close. You don't want to blow it. Ideally, you want to wow them. Yet most professionals are not great at interviews. To be honest, most are terrible, and this includes people who graduated from Harvard Business School and similar places. Why? Because they don't have a game plan and they haven't put in the work required to execute a good one. So they get close to their dream job or even just an okay job, and they don't get it. The basic premise of "Master the Interview" is that you don't have to be that person. In this comprehensive book, Anne Marie Segal, a coach, lawyer and writer's writer, sets forth ALL the relevant aspects of interviewing effectively so that you can anticipate them, prepare for them and ultimately master them and get the job you want. -Michael Melcher’s review on Amazon.com (abridged) For additional reviews – search for “Anne Marie Segal” on Amazon.com

MASTER THE INTERVIEW: Five-Star Reviews No job seeker should begin interviewing without this invaluable resource! Anne Marie Segal breaks down an often intimidating process, guiding the reader through every step. As a highly sought-after career coach, she is well-equipped to distill the essential issues worth focusing on, particularly the introspection that leads to the best possible interview answers.

This book is MUCH more than lists of potential interview questions and the standard advice about dressing professionally and arriving early (though the logistics of interviewing are thoroughly covered). Rather, Anne Marie facilitates a holistic understanding of the interview process, helping the reader to create a strategy for approaching it (and the job search more broadly).

I found that by using this book, I was able to significantly reduce my pre-interview stress and approach interviews from a position of confidence, ready to share my value proposition with hiring managers. It made such a difference, and I know I will continue to rely on it for decades to come! -Hayley C.’s review on Amazon.com (abridged) For additional reviews – search for “Anne Marie Segal” on Amazon.com

MASTER THE INTERVIEW: Conveniently Organized

•  Section 1: PREPARATION: Create a roadmap. Network your way to more

interviews. Create a high-level plan for yourself.

•  Section 2: VALUE PROPOSITION: Define in depth and tailor your value-add.

What do you offer the “market”? This specific employer?

•  Section 3: INTERVIEW QUESTIONS: Know the purpose behind interview Q&A rather than practicing 100+ questions.

•  Section 4: UNWRITTEN RULES OF INTERVIEWING: Be prepared to navigate common situations and modern trends (e.g. Skype).

•  Section 5: FINAL CONSIDERATIONS: Address interview blocks. Follow up (but not too much). Debrief after interviews. Evaluate and negotiate offers and review employment agreements.

•  IDENTIFY TARGETS: Networking blindly = low ROI. What targets should you prioritize to serve your end goals?

•  IDENTIFY CONNECTIONS: What individuals at those targets are optimum for you as connections?

•  CREATE INDIVIDUALIZED PITCHES: Tailor your pitch to the audience. •  Talk about benefits you bring, not what you need.

•  DON’T WASTE TIME: Use simple and clear communication, and don’t fill space or time with unnecessary information/words/stuff.

•  ENGAGE: How can you bring them closer to you? What can you offer to keep them engaged?

•  FOLLOW THROUGH: Build relationships for the long-term.

MASTER THE INTERVIEW: Chapter 3: Networking Guidance

•  Creating Your Personal Value Proposition

•  Core Competencies that Get You Hired

•  Your Edge

•  Your Job-Specific Value Proposition and Tailored Accomplishments

MASTER THE INTERVIEW: Your Value Proposition

Why You Want to Work Here?

•  Their Market, Mission, Business Model, Clients, etc. •  How You Fit In – “It’s About Them, Not You” Why Should We Hire You? •  Your Tailored Value Proposition

Tailored Q&A •  Know the Underlying Themes of Potential Questions

MASTER THE INTERVIEW: High-Level View of Interviews

Know the 3-5 points (depending on the length of the interview and the seniority of the role) that you want to drive home in an interview – why you are the best candidate for the job and how you can benefit the company – and make sure you find a way to weave them seamlessly into your interview responses. You are not looking to write a script for yourself, but instead create a direction for your interview responses and narrative about your candidacy. [Excerpt from Chapter 12]

MASTER THE INTERVIEW: Detailed View of Interviews

•  The Weaknesses Question •  Where Do You See Yourself in Five/Ten Years? •  When Have You Failed at Something? •  Walk Me Through Your Resume •  Tell Me About Yourself •  Confrontational Interviewers •  Technical and On-the-Spot Questions •  How to Answer: “Do You Have any Questions?”

MASTER THE INTERVIEW: Q&A Preparation

How to answer the question that stumps as many candidates as any other: Why Do You Want to Work Here? See Chapter 9 for what and how to research your target employer and understand what the role entails.

MASTER THE INTERVIEW: The Capstone Question

•  Pre-Interview (Stealth Interview) •  Screening •  Short Phone Interview •  Longer Phone Interview •  Skype •  Panel •  Take-Home and Other Assignments (Video, etc.) •  Personality Tests •  Lunch or Dinner Interviews

MASTER THE INTERVIEW: Interview Format Prep

“I truly hate my job, but I can’t face the idea of going to an interview.” - Senior Hedge Fund Operations Professional

POWERLESSNESS: How to overcome it

Treat the interview like a two-way street. You ultimately have the power to say “yes” or “no” to each stage of the process and to a job offer in the same way that the company has the power to run the interview and extend an offer or not. [Excerpts from Chapter 13]

MASTER THE INTERVIEW: Confidence Blocks

•  Underqualified or Overqualified Candidates •  Career Change Challenges •  Extended Leaves of Absence •  Pregnancy •  Visible or Hidden Disability •  Part-Time, Flextime and Telecommuting •  Questionable Elements in Your Background •  International Candidates

MASTER THE INTERVIEW: Special Considerations

If you have never interviewed someone (i.e., sat on the hiring side of the table), then it may be difficult to imagine what it looks like – and what you look like – from that perspective. Yet it is critically important to do so, since the interviewer’s perspective informs all of your actions as an interviewee. [Excerpt from Chapter 15]

MASTER THE INTERVIEW: Behind the Scenes (The Interviewer’s Side)

•  Debrief – get your thoughts in order while they are fresh

Worksheets available at www.annemariesegal.com (Click on “Worksheets,” then choose “Interview Debrief”)

•  Follow Up –create a compelling “package” on the back end

•  Evaluate – know the offer and your opportunity costs

•  Close the Deal – get everything in writing, determine your bottom line and keep other options in play until the deal is done

MASTER THE INTERVIEW: After the Interview

Please visit Amazon,com for more information or to obtain a copy of Master the Interview. Available for 2-day delivery in the U.S. Varies internationally.

MASTER THE INTERVIEW: Available on Amazon.com

Credits and disclaimer

Images in this presentation are sourced as follows: -  cover image from Master the Interview (Shutterstock.com/Rob Marmion), and -  image of presenter © 2016 Anne Marie Segal

Presentation © 2016 Anne Marie Segal. All rights reserved. The presenter has been very careful to provide accurate information in this presentation, but please use your own judgment when making any important decisions about interviews or your career.